lONEY IN FOX 
FARMING 

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By 
STEPHEN A. GILLIS 




International Letter Club 

Publishers 
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY 



PRICE, 25 CENTS 




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MONEY IN FOX 
FARMING 

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By 
STEPHEN A. GILLIS 




International Letter Club 

Publishers 
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY 



^^^y 



Copyrighted, 1915, by 

INTERNATIONAL LETTER CLUB 

Jersey City, New Jersey 



Or^- 



M S8 1915 



y)CI.A401427 

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INTRODUCTION 

THIS little treatise on fox farming is not in- 
tended to teach the ranchers of Prnice Ed- 
ward Island, or elsewhere, anything about the 
industry. It aims to be a guide to investors and in- 
experienced persons who intend to take up fur farm- 
ing. 

In the past twenty years the price of silver fox 
fur has increased about three hundred per cent. Even 
the lowest prices ever recorded for good silver skins 
are sufficient to warrant a fair profit for the farming 
of those animals for their pelts. 

The industry is about twenty-eight years old and 
its permanency is assured by the number of domesti- 
cated animals that are now in captivity. The mor- 
tality among the old foxes has been exceedingly 
low. 

The facts contained in this work are the result of 
a two months' investigation of the industry which 
the writer made in the interest of an Advertising 
Agency. 

Anyone who makes a thorough, unprejudiced in- 
vestigation will be convinced that fox farming has 
become a profitable, permanent industry. 

The Author. 




Watching visitors. 



MONEY IN FOX FARMING 

Fur Trading has built up one of the oldest 
and wealthiest corporations on the Ameri- 
can Continent — The Hudson Bay Company. 
From the very earliest ages the skins o£ 
animals have been used to protect man from 
cold. The supply of wild fur-bearers has 
gradually lessened, some species being now 
almost extinct. Not onl}^ has the supply 
lessened, the demand has gradually in- 
creased. Today ponies, kids, lambs, pups, 
rabbits, are killed in large numbers to sup- 
ply the demand for furs. 

The Methods of Trapping wild animals 
have been cruel in the extreme. Often the 
trapper does not visit his traps more than 
once or twice a Aveek. An animal caught by 
a leg or a part of the body in a steel trap may 
live for hours or days suffering the tortures 
of pain and fear. Mink will break its teeth 
against the steel jaws of the trap and tear 
the flesh from its own limbs. 

Domesticating Wild Animals, — Some of 
the animals would be taken alive by the 
trapper and those caught out of season 
would be kept in captivity until the fur 
would be prime. In this way it was dis- 
covered that many of them could be tamed, 
and it was only reasonable to expect that 
attempts would be made to rear or breed 

5 



the more expensively-furred species under 
domestic conditions. 

The Silver Fox is a color phase of the 
common red fox which is found on every 
continent. It has always ranked among the 
most expensive fur-bearers, partly because 
of its rarity but more especially on account 
of the excellent and peculiar quality of its 
fur, which is long and soft — almost downy. 
It is dark, sometimes jet black, with a 
sprinkling of light or silvery hair, par- 
ticularly over the hips and forehead. It is 
those light hairs that gave it the name "sil- 
ver" or "silver black." Upon close examina- 
tion it will be noticed that they are banded ; 
or black on the extreme tips, then light — 
and dark again near the skin. The tip of 
the long bushy tail is generally white. 

The History of Fox Farming may be said 
to date from 1887, when Charles Dalton, of 
Prince Edward Island, began experimenting 
with red foxes. Robert T. Oulton also tried 
to breed foxes in captivity and a little later 
formed a partnership with Dalton. The per- 
sistence with which these two men studied 
the habits and characteristics of the fox is 
largely responsible for the success of the in- 
dustry. 

Most of the early attempts to breed foxes 

in other provinces seem to have met with 

failure. The animals would burrow into the 

ground and escape. They would fail to breed 

6 



or the litters would die of sickness or dis- 
ease or would be killed. 

Difficulties Overcome. — Gradually it was 
learned that foxes are highly nervous during 
the breeding season and require all the se- 
clusion possible. Again, it was discovered 
that they are monogamus, each having but 
one mate. 

The Modern Ranch solved the problem of 
holding the foxes. It is made of a large 
outside inclosure of wire netting sunk into 
the ground to prevent the foxes from bur- 
rowing their way to freedom, and overhung 
at the top to prevent them from climbing 
out. Within the inclosure are smaller pens, 
also made of wire in the same manner. These 
usually enclose a space about twenty-five by 
fifty feet. Each pair of foxes is provided 
with a separate pen. 

The invention of the artificial den which 
is built within this pen has been the means 
of saving many litters after birth. 

This nest is built inside a small house in 
imitation of the wild den. It is ventilated so 
as to be sanitary and is well insulated so 
that the heat from the bodies of the old 
foxes will provide plenty of warmth for 
the pups. 

The ranch is usually built on dry ground, 
in a wood that affords shade in summer and 
shelter in the winter. 

Growth of the Industry. — Previous to 1909 
nothing much was heard of the fox industry. 



In that year there were in all about fifteen 
ranches in Prince Edward Island. There 
were also a few in other provinces. In 1899 
or 1900 it was reported that Charles Dalton 
received $1,800 for a silver skin sold in Lon- 
don. A demand for breeders started short- 
ly afterwards and gradually increased until 
1910 when the price of breeding stock went 
up by leaps and bounds. 

"Fur Farming in Canada" — A bulletin 
published by the Conservation Commission 
of the Canadian Government, quotes prices 
of five months old silver pups of good Prince 
Edward stock as follows : 

Sept. 1909. . .$3,000.00 per pair 

" 1910. . . 4,000.00 " " 

" 191 1. . . 6,000.00 " " 

" 1912. , .10,000.00 " " 

" 1913. . .16,000.00 " " 

The author of the handbook quotes the 
price of proved breeders at $25,000 to $35r 
000 per pair, in 1913. 

About 1910 the thrifty conservative farm- 
ers of Prince Edward Island began to draw 
their little hoards from the savings banks 
and invest in foxes. Private and corporate 
companies were formed by the score. The 
stock in these corporations was quickly 
taken up by the farmers, by business and 
professional men. 

The industry quickly spread to the neigh- 
boring provinces, to Ontario, Quebec, New- 
8 



foundland and some of the Northern States 
of the Union which enjoy a cHmate favor- 
able to the production of good fur. Even 
the Russian Government became interested 
in the new industry which sprang up in 
Prince Edward Island, and in 1912 sent a 
representative to the province to gather facts 
about fur-farming. A fur farm is now in 
operation about seven miles from Petrograd. 
The pens are built on the model of the Prince 
Edward Island ranches. 

At the beginning of 191 5 there were over 
three hundred and fifty fox ranches on 
Prince Edward Island, representing almost 
twenty millions of dollars of invested capi- 
tal. It is estimated that fully eighty-five 
per cent, of the world's supply of captive 
silver foxes is in Prince Edward Island. 

The Value of Fox Fur varies greatly. A 
red fox pelt is seldom worth more than five 
to ten dollars. A few selected red fox skins 
from Prince Edward Island are said to have 
brought fifteen to seventeen dollars on the 
London fur market. In the early stages of 
fox farming the price of good silver skins 
probably did not average more than $200 
each. 

In an editorial headed "Truth About the 
Fox Industry,"— ''The Daily Patriot," Char- 
lottetown, — January 29, 191 5 — publishes a 
list of the prices which Charles Dalton re- 
ceived for two hundred and three (203) sil- 
ver skins sold in London from 1900 to 1914. 

9 



The paper guarantees the correctness of the 
figures, which were, taken from the original 
vouchers. The two hundred and three (203) 
skins were sold for $163,184.22 or an aver- 
age of $/"/8.'/4 each. One of these skins 
brought about $2,700. 

Cross or patch fox pelts are worth $25 
to $300 each. Blue fox from $25 to $75 
per pelt. 

Imitations. — There are imitations of fox 
fur on the market which unscrupulous fur- 
riers try to palm off as genuine. The fol- 
lowing quotation is from "Fur Farming in 
Canada :" 

"The imitation of the silver fox is also impossible 
because of the color of the silver-banded black over- 
hairs. The nearest imitation is the German-dyed 
pointed fox, made from a common red fox dyed 
iDlack, which has white hairs from the badger or 
other animals sewed into it or fastened in by ad- 
hesives. It is easily distinguished from the silver 
black fox fur and is not favored except as a me- 
dium-priced article. It is not nearly so beautiful 
as silver fox. The silver band in a genuine skin is 
not white, but silvery, and the whole skin possesses 
a gloss not equalled by a dyed product. The dyeing 
process has also the disadvantage of rendering the 
fur less durable. The undyed skin is whitish and the 
underfur close to the skin is a light drab or pale blue 
color." 

Ranch Bred Pelts command better prices 
than the pelts of wild animals. Again we 
quote from "Fur Farming in Canada." 

"As many animals — in fact the large majority of 
the animals caught in the wilds — are of poor quality, 
they will need to be subjected to methods of rigid 

II 



selection for many generations to come if fur of 
good quality is to be produced. Only a few of the 
domestic stock are as poorly furred as the average 
wild stock — among the wild stock the poor color 
and the coarseness of the fur are notable. There 
are exceptional individuals of excellent quality 
among the wild foxes, but none yet examined is the 
equal of the selected domestic animals in silkiness 
and sheen of coat." 

Wild foxes have no regard for color or 
fur when choosing their mate. A finely- 
furred silver male might mate with a poor- 
ly furred red female or vice versa. The 
offspring from such parents would be called 
"cross" or ''patch." 

The fur of the wild fox is injured by com- 
ing in contact with brush and shrubs and 
other injurious substances. It may be in- 
jured by trapping or shooting. The animal 
may be killed while the fur is in poor con- 
dition. Feed also has much to do with the 
quality of the fur. The ranch fox may be 
carefully mated. He is carefully fed and 
protected from substances that injure the 
fur. I He can be kept in a climate that favors 
the best fur. Then he can be killed in a 
humane manner when the fur is in its very 
best condition. Commenting on this subject 
"Fur Farming in Canada" says : 

"In our opinion, however, the prime killing of wild 
stock after careful fattening would probably increase 
the value of the pelts one hundred per cent., but 
they would still be less than half as valuable as the 
best grade of selected Island stock. Excellent foun- 
dation stock improved through several generation by 

12 



selection and feeding, has done its work in a fashion 
similar to the development of our breeds of domestic 
stock." 

The most convincing proof of the superior- 
ity of Ranch-bred fox pelts is a compari- 
son of their prices with those received for 
the wild pelts. The following figures were 
compiled by "The Daily Patriot" and pub- 
lished in its article "Truth About the Fox 
Industry :" 

Comparison with the average of all pelts sold in 
London : 

Average price re- Average price re- 

ceived per pelt received per pelt 

for all pelts sold by a single Prince 

in London. Edward I si a n d 

Rancher.* 

Year. 

1905 $146.59 ^553-03 

1906 166.93 1,216.66 

1907..... 157- II 821.23 

1908 168.91 589-51 

1909 244.12 622.29 

1910 414.37 1,173.26 

1911 290.01 899.69 

*The rancher referred to is Charles Dalton. 

Best Climate for Fox Ranching.— Foxes 

thrive well in a climate that touches zero 
in winter and is not extremely hot in sum- 
mer. Very cold open country -makes fur 
coarse and shaggy, while forest renders it 
finer. Fur from warmer climates is light 
and thin. The climate of Prince Edward 
Island is claimed to be the best in the world 

13 



for the fox. "Fur Farming in Canada" says : 

"Beyond a doubt the finest foxes in captivity at the 
present time are the descendants of foxes captured 
in Prince Edward Island." 

Some are of the opinion that the Prince 
Edward Island fox is a distinct variety hav- 
ing been segregated for ages, or since the 
Island was first separated from the main- 
land. Fox breeders from Alaska have 
brought foxes to Prince Edward Island to 
be ranched, claiming that the climate there 
will improve the fur of their animals. 

The climate in parts of Nova Scotia, New 
Brunswick and Maine is very similar to 
that of Prince Edward Island. 

Money in Fox Farming. — The pioneer 
ranchers have proved conclusively that foxes 
can be profitably raised for their pelts, even 
when the price of fur was very much lower 
than it is today. All the old ranchers of 
Prince Edward Island who have stuck to 
the industry show evidence of having made 
considerable money. Charles Dalton — now 
Hon. Chas. Dalton — was but a poor trapper 
when he started breeding foxes. He has 
recently donated $50,000 to the St. Dun- 
stan's College, and established a Tuberculo- 
sis Sanatarium for Prince Edward Island. 
Oulton, Tuplin, Gordon and many other old 
ranchers have been made wealthy by raising 
foxes for their pelts. 

The boom in breeding stock from 1910 
14 



to 1914 has made many people wealthy m a 
season or less. In the early part of 191 3 a 
young medical student bought ^ pair of 
foxes for $18,000. He paid $1,800 as a de- 
posit, the balance to be paid after the first 
litter was born. In April of the same year 
^^he pair ;reared seven silver pups which 
realized about $60,000 when they were less 
than six months old. This is said to be the 
highest price ever received for a year's off- 
spring from any pair of animals at that 
age. There are hundreds of cases where 
stenographers, clerks, farmers and others 
have invested a few hundred dollars and in 
less than one year received profits represent- 
ing from one to five hundred per cent, on 
their investment. 

J. E. B. McCready, Dominion Publicity 
Agent for Prince Edward Island, has stated 
that the average dividend paid in 1913 was 
about sixty per cent, of the total capital 
invested. Some companies paid one hun- 
dred per cent, or over. A few with a very 
low capitalization paid three to five hun- 
dred per cent, and more. Even in 1914 
many companies we^re able to pay substantial 
dividends in spite of the disturbed financial 
conditions caused by the war. 

How to Take Up Fox Farming. — People 
living in cities and in the warmer climates 
can take up fox farming without having to 
devote their time to it. In Prince Edward 

15 



Island there are reliable experienced ranch- 
ers who will ranch foxes for a percentage 
of the profits or for a stated cash amount. 
At the present time the usual charge is 
from $150 to $200 per pair for one year, or 
ten per cent, of the profits. These charges 
include the care of the young from the time 
of their birth, in April or May, until about 
September. 

The- percentage basis is to be recom- 
mended to inexperienced persons or to those 
who cannot see their foxes before buying. 
By this arrangement the rancher assumes 
all the risk of expense. He would not do 
this were he not reasonably sure that ten 
per cent, of the profits would be equal at 
least to his outlay for feed and caretakers' 
time. People with no previous knowledge 
of fox farming who live in a climate suitable 
to foxes could start in the industry with 
cheap cross or red foxes, on a s^mall capital. 
A small ranch could be built very cheaply. 
But no inexperienced person should attempt 
to breed expensive silvers without employ- 
ing a competent caretaker. Farmers, how- 
ever, might start fox farming after spending 
a few weeks with a practical rancher. 

It is always advisable to start with the 
best foundation stock obtainable, providing 
capital and experience warrant it. We would 
hardly expect an inexperienced person to 
put $25,000 or $50,000 into a manufactur- 
ing plant and make a success of it, without 

17 



employing a capable manager. The same 
thing applies to fox farming. 

Persons with limited calpital could en- 
hance their chances for profit by forming 
a partnership with a few friends, and buy- 
ing more than one pair of foxes. This re- 
duces the risk. 

When Buying Foxes three things should 
be carefully considered : fur quality, pedi- 
gree and productiveness. "Fur Farming" 
gives the following rules for judging the 
skin value of live animals : 

Color. — Glossy black on the neck and wherever 
no silver hairs are found. The black must be of a 
bluish cast all over the body rather than a reddish. 
The under-fur of the silver and black foxes is a 
dark slate next to the skin. 

Silver Hairs. — Pure silver bands — not white nor 
very prominent. In the costliest skins there are 
only a few silver hairs, which are well scattered over 
the pelt. Flakiness which is the appearance of 
whitish silver hairs placed close together in patches 
is objectionable. 

Texture. — Buyers pass judgment on the skins by 
drawing the hand over the fur. The softest furs 
are the most valuable. The quality of softness is 
referred to as "silkiness." 

Gloss. — The sheen must be evident. It is caused 
by the perfect health of the animal and the fineness 
of the hair as well as by hereditary influences. 
Woods and humid atmosphere also favor this im- 
portant quality. 

Weight. — A good fox skin will weigh at least 
one pound, the weight usually varying from ten to 
.nineteen ounces. The thick, long fur makes the 
weight. This is a very important point, as the 
heavy fur is more durable and handsome. 

i8 



Size. — The value of silver fox pelts Increases with 
size. 

Rust is always an indication of red an- 
cestry. It is detected by reddish hair just 
inside the ear. 

Pedigree and Productiveness. — When 
buying foxes it would be well to have the 
rancher produce a sworn statement, giving 
the pedigree of the animals for at least three 
to five generations back. In Prince Edward 
Island this statement could easily be veri- 
fied by inquiry from neighboring ranchers. 
Competition and jealousy among the ranch- 
ers are keen. If one rancher misrepresents 
his foxes, his neighbor will surely tell it. 
The pedigree should show the line of fecund- 
ity. A fox from a litter of five, six or seven 
whose parents were also from large litters, 
is always more prolific than a fox from 
smaller litters. 

Long-term payments are often extended 
to purchasers of foxes. A deposit of not 
less than ten per cent, of the purchase price 
is made and the balance payable in six 
months, one year or even a longer term. It 
would not be wise, however, for small in- 
vestors to make a deposit on a pair of foxes 
depending on the increase to pay the bal- 
ance. The foxes might fail to breed, or 
might die, though the mortality among 
mature foxes is very light. 

19 



Sometimes the vendor of expensive foxes 
will furnish a guarantee that the animals 
will produce young the following year. 
Prospective purchasers should visit at least 
three, four or half a dozen ranches before 
making a selection. Ranchers who have 
confidence in the superiority of their stock 
encourage such an investigation. Good fur 
speaks for itself even to the inexperienced 
eye. 

Vixens — female foxes — that have failed to 
breed for two consecutive years should be 
avoided as breeding stock. 

Cross Bred Foxes are, as their name im- 
plies, a cross between a silver and a red. 
They are also called patch foxes. The off- 
spring of a pure silver and a cross fox will 
show a greater percentage of silver blood. 
Sometimes part of the litter will be all sil- 
ver and part all red. By breeding these 
silvers, offspring of cross parents, with pure 
silvers a strain of pure silver can be es- 
tablished in from three to five generations. 
The pelt of a silver offspring from cross 
parents might be just as valuable as the 
pelt of a pure silver, but the animal would 
not be so valuable for breeding purposes on 
account of its containing a percentage of 
red blood. Thus it can be understood how 
important is the pedigree of a silver fox, 
which may have the appearance of a per- 
fectly pure silver, and yet contain a good 
percentage of red blood. 

20 



There are companies and individuals that 
make .a business of breeding up crossed 
foxes. One pair of crosses that was bought 
for a few hundred dollars showed a splendid 
record. To the inexperienced person, they 
had the appearance of being almost pure red. 
Yet out of the twelve pups which they pro- 
duced in three years, six showed a large per- 
centage of silver, one pair of which sold for 
$11,000. Crossed foxes can be bought for 
$ioo to $2,000 per pair. 

Cost of Ranching is very small in propor- 
tion to production. In Prince Edward Island 
the cost of feed, which is given very care- 
ful consideration, is from $25 to $100 per 
year, per pair of foxes. The feed consists 
of meat, fish, biscuit, etc. In the whelping 
season the female is often fed milk and eggs. 
Old hens ^nd rabbits are frequently fed 
alive. 

Farmers (keeping a few pairs of foxes 
could reduce the cost of feed to $10 per fox 
or less, as much waste product could be used 
up. When we consider that the fox comes 
to maturity in eight months and reproduces 
rapidly, we can readily see that if the price 
of pelts dropped to $40 or $50 each, silver 
fox;es could still be raised profi'tably for 
their pelts by farmers. The work of attend- 
ing to ten pairs of foxes would be no more 
than that of attending to a few cows. One 
caretaker can easily attend to forty or fifty 
21 



pairs of foxes. His salary runs from $400 to 
$1,500 per year. 

Raising Foxes for Their Pelts. — Govern- 
ment reports quote the increase of all foxes 
in Prince Edward Island in 1913 as one and 
three-quarters per pair. These reports also 
show that about one-half of the vixens di'd 
not breed in that year, or did not rear their 
young to maturity. 

Considering the number of inexperienced 
persons who have taken up fox ranching 
and the number of wild and cheap foxes that 
were included, this seems an exceptionally 
good record. In many cases cheap foxes 
would be kept in a barrel or cask near the 
barn. Wild foxes cannot be depended upon 
to breed in captivity. If we consider only 
good ranch-bred foxes the average increase 
per pair will probably double these figures. 

Suppose an individual or company started 
fox ranching with three pairs of silver foxes 
bought at $5,000 per pair. Ten foxes — five 
pairs — would be a fair estimate of increase 
for the first year. Say two pairs were added 
to the ranch and the pelts of the other three 
pairs were sold at $500 each — almost $300 
below the present average value — or a total 
of $3,000. If we value the five pairs at the 
same rate and allow ten per cent. — $500 — 
for ranching expenses, we have a clear profit 
of $2,500 or sixteen per cent, of the original 
22 



investment. If we reckon $i,ooo for each 
of the pelts we have double that amount. 
Suppose we allow ten per cent, for deprecia- 
tion of capital, which is much higher than 
the average death rate of the animal, we 
still have the capital increased by thirty 
per cent. In this way a large ranch could 
be built up in a few years, while the original 
investment was earning good returns. 

Raising Foxes for Breeders. — Since 1910 
no silver foxes have been killed for their 
pelts in Prince Edward Island. The only 
pelts sold from that province have been from 
foxes that had become too old to breed or 
had died or were accidentally killed. In 
fact, these ranchers do not expect to ever 
have to sell the pelts of good breeding 
animals. While the present prices of silver 
fur are maintained, the price of good breed- 
ing stock is not likely to drop below $5,000 
per pair. 

Considering the case just illustrated, sup- 
pose the three pairs of foxes were sold for 
breeders at $5,000 per pair — $15,000 in all, or 
almost one hundred per cent, on the original 
investment. Here again the two pairs would 
be added to build up the ranch. 

To some, these illustrations may seem 
overdrawn; but they are much below hun- 
dreds of actual cases. On the other hand, 
certain conditions might be met that would 

2a 



wipe out all the profits for one or two years. 
But such conditions would be the exception 
and not the rule. 

Seeing the Ranches. — Anyone who con- 
templates fur farming should visit Prince 
Edward Island during the summer or 
autumn months. The fur is poorest in sum- 
mer and prime in December and January. 
But visitors are not allowed near the ranches 
from December until June. This is the 
breeding season when precaution is taken 
to see that the foxes have all the seclusion 
possible. They become quite accustomed to 
the keeper and will often eat feed from his 
hand, but strange noises, sights or scents 
will frighten them into their dens. To 
frighten the animals at this period may mean 
their failure to breed or the loss of pups. 

The most critical time of all is the whelp- 
ing season, usually in April or May. Some- 
times the male is of an ugly disposition and 
must be removed to keep him from harming 
the young. Again, he may be more affec- 
tionate than the mother, and helps to calm 
her if she becomes excited. Sometimes the 
mother does not appear from the nest for 
several days after the young are born, the 
male carrying the feed to her. 

There seems to be a strong instinct 

among foxes to hide their young from their 

enemies, particularly the bear. If the mother 

fox becomes excited or thinks her young are 

24 



endangered, she may carry them out of the 
nest and bury them in the snow or mud 
where they will freeze unless discovered in 
time by the keeper. 

Prince Edward Island is the world's cen- 
tre for fur farming, and in the summer of- 
fers many attractions for the tourist. It is a 
small thickly-settled farming country and 
has been named "The Garden of the Gulf." 
Its extreme length is only about one hun- 
dred and fifty miles and its greatest width 
about thirty miles. The whole Island is laid 
off with country roads that afford beauti- 
ful driveways. There are streams of clear 
water on almost every farm, and numerous 
small rivers flowing toward the sea. These 
are well stocked with trout. There is an 
abundance of deep-sea fishing; cod, lobsters, 
haddock, mackerel, herring are plentiful. 

Shooting. — Geese, brant, duck, plover and 
all kinds of water fowl are found along the 
shore. Woodcock and patridge are also 
plentiful. 

The open season for shooting is : Brant, 
April 20th to December 31st; duck, August 
20th to December 31st; geese, September 
15th to May 9th; martin, mink, muskrat, 
November ist to March 31st; partridge, 
October 15th to November 15th; plover, 
August I st to December 31st; rabbits, No- 
vember 1st to January ist; snipe, Septem- 
ber ist to December 31st. 

25 



There is plenty of opportunity for boating 
and bathing and for golf, cricket and tennis. 

Board may be had for $i to $5 per day, or 
$4 to $25 per week. Cottages may be rented 
for $45 and up for the season. Camping 
grounds can be had without cost. 

Prince Edward Island is about twenty- 
four hours by rail from Boston — boat from 
Point Du Chene to Summerside. The Plant 
Line Steamers ply between Boston and 
Charlottetown, and the Eastern S.S. Com- 
pany's boats between Boston and St. John, 
New Brunswick. The fare from Boston is 
ten to fifteen dollars. 

Present Opportunities. — The price of 
foxes was at its highest pitch when the war 
started, and at once rapidly declined to 
about one-half the former figures. Specu- 
lators and promoters had done much dam- 
age to the reputation of the industry. But 
no companies were found in financial dis- 
tress at the beginning of 1915. The reasons 
for this are that as a rule the companies 
own their foxes with no liabilities except 
their capital stock, and the expenses are in- 
significant. 

At the time of writing foxes are changing 
hands at from $4,000 to $6,000 per pair. The 
general tendency among the ranchers is to 
hold their animals for higher figures. An 
advertisement for two pairs of good foxes 
appeared on the front page of one of the 

26 



leading dailies which is read by most of the 
ranchers. This ad. appeared in the early 
part of February and brought only two re- 
plies. One pair of the foxes were year-old 
silver pups of good stock and were bought 
for $5,000. 

The present indications are that this year's 
pups — good silvers — may be had for from 
$4,000 to $6,000 per pair, possibly less. When 
the war is over and normal conditions re- 
turn, the prices of breeding stock are pretty 
sure to go higher. The shrewd investor 
who is thinking of taking up fur farming 
could make no mistake by buying his 
foundation stock on a low market. 

Knockers are always in evidence. As a 
rule the more prosperous any new enter- 
prise the more numerous the "knockers," 
Among the critics of fox farming will be 
found people who have not got into the in- 
dustry and are jealous of the success of their 
neighbors. Others have been the victims of 
unscrupulous promoters, while still others 
are disappointed by dividends of only eight 
or ten per cent. Many of these investors 
are farmers with no business experience, and 
look upon a company's failure to pay divi- 
dends as an indication of bankruptcy, even 
though the company may own for-ty or fifty 
thousand dollars' worth of ranching stock 
and foxes unencumbered. 

Again, there are those who have mistaken 
criticism of speculators as criticism of the 

27 



industry. Even well intentioned persons 
have been misled by this criticism. The 
writer has investigated official reports that 
were very unfair in that they were greatly 
misleading. As an instance, one of these 
reports stated that the average price of sil- 
ver fox pelts sold in London last June was 
only $ii8. The inference could be drawn 
from the report that this price represented 
the average price of ranch-bred silver pelts. 
The report failed to mention that no animals 
were killed for their pelts in Prince Edward 
Island in recent years on account of the high 
price of breeding stock, and also that in one 
sale from a Prince Edward Island ranch in 
1910 twenty-five pelts brought an average 
price of $1,339.48 per pelt. 

"Knockers" should never be taken seri- 
ously until their criticism has been investi- 
gated. As a general rule they are failures 
and never-do-wells. 

Other Fur Animals Farmed. — The fur 
farming of Prince Edward Island is not con- 
fined to foxes. Mink, fisher, otter and beaver 
are farmed, also karakule sheep, the pro- 
ducers of Persian lamb. These, however, 
are but a side line to fox farming. In some 
of the other provinces they are more ex- 
tensively raised. 

Government Regulations. — The govern- 
ment of Prince Edward Island has given 
more attention to the fox industry than that 
28 



of any of the other provinces. This is only 
to be expected considering the large num- 
ber of citizens that are engaged in it. In 
1913 $37^172 was collected in taxes on young- 
foxes. 

The Silver Fox Breeders Association of 
Prince Edward Island was organized in 1912 
and was incorporated by a special act of the 
legislature in April, 1915. The objects of 
this association are to protect the interests 
of the industry in every way possible. 

Special legislation was also enacted with 
a view to safeguarding the interests of pur- 
chasers of breeding foxes and investors buy- 
ing stock in corporations. This legislation 
empowers the government to regulate the 
industry through the Fox Breeders Associa- 
tion. Standards of registration will be es- 
tablished. The animals will be graded and 
registered according to their pedigrees. This 
will enable a person to verify the pedigree 
of any animal by inquiry from the Associa- 
tion. 

Summing Up. — ^To sum up conditions of 
the fox industry, we find good silver fox 
fur demanding big prices. This can be veri- 
fied by inquiring the price of good silver 
fox sets at any reliable furriers or at depart- 
ment stores. There has not been enough of 
these foxes in the American market to make 
their wearing fashionable. An increase in 
the output is going to increase the demand, 
slso the price, just as the price of eggs has 
29 



Increased with in increased production dur- 
ing the past few years. 

(.)ld ranchers who have made fox ranch- 
ing their life work have become wealthy 
while inexperienced persons and farmers 
with no business methods have made large 
amounts of money by conducting a hap- 
hazard business. The industry is but in its 
infancy and offers a good opportunity for 
persons with little capital. 



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Six-months-old pups. 

30- 



It must be remembered that buying wild 
stock or animals without pedigree for breed- 
ers is always speculative, and attempts to 
breed expensive animals in unfavorable 
climates are sure to result in disappointment. 

A few general rules might be laid down 
for the amateur who is contemplating fox 
farming. 

1. Climatic conditions are essential. 

2. The best breeding stock offers the best 
advantages. 

3. Do not buy expensive foxes without 
seeing them. 

4. Insist on knowing pedigree of pure 
silvers or high-grade crosses. 

5. Have your foxes ranched by a reliable 
rancher of good reputation. A straight 
charge is usually cheaper, but the percent- 
age basis is safer for amateurs. 

6. If building your own ranch employ 
the services of a good, experienced caretaker 
of steady habits and good reputation. In- 
clude some extra renumeration for results 
in his contract. 

7. It will pay the amateur to have less 
than five pairs of foxes ranched by some- 
one else in preference to building his own 
ranch. 

Sources of Information. — The Dominion 
Government Publicity Agent, Charlotte- 

31 



town, Prince Edward Island, will furnish in- 
formation on the industries of the Island 
to all enquirers. 

The Silver Fox Breeders Association of 
Prince Edward Island will answer enquiries 
relating to the fox industry. Banks, busi- 
ness and professional men are usually re- 
liable sources of information. 

The best and surest source of information 
is to be on the spot and get your knowledge 
first hand. 

Works of References. — ''Fur Farming in 
Canada," by J. Walter Jones, B.A., B.S.A., 
is one of the most reliable and thorough 
works on the subject of fur farming. It 
deals in detail with almost every phase of 
the fur-farming industry and gives the 
names and addresses of practically all the 
principal companies and individuals engaged 
in fur farming in Canada in the beginning of 
1914. 



32 



Fur Farming in Canada 

an Official Government Report 
of almost 300 pages, illustrated 

Postpaid, $1.50 

International Letter Club 
Box 128, Jersey City, N. J. 



lL«S/ °'' CONGRESS 



002 833 002 9 "ji 



